The Silver Bull
by Firedawn'd
Summary: Artemis and Orion fight against the Minotaur. Missing scene from Blind Stars.
1. Labyrinth

''Tis not that bad a day,''' Artemis said as they sat in by the cave. Cool blasts of wind whistled by them, as the moist air kept them cool. It was the Winter Solstice, the day where the Sun's life was the shortest—and Artemis had looked forward to this very day since she became blind by the Sun's harsh glare.

It felt like forever; even if the event itself happened a mere month ago. Time did pass slower when one was waiting expectantly for something; and in her case, it was the reopening of Hephaestus' forge, where she would be able to take a new pair of eyes and regain her sight—like how Orion did, when and Hephaestus forged him a pair of metallic contraptions that returned him his vision.

''It is,'' Orion murmured, as they sat in the cave, contemplating in their thoughts. ''It's quite nice, actually. Almost nearing the Spring Solstice…''

Suddenly, he abruptly stood, spilling all that was on his lap. ''I have to check up on something,'' Orion said quickly, as he began to fervently pack his bag. Artemis cocked her head at the sounds in Orion's rush; as a few of his wares fell to the cavern grounds with a clatter.

''I'll go with you,'' Artemis said, as she stood from the ground and stretched her back. It would be time to go for some exercise, anyway.

Orion felt to stare at her, as a stretch of silence passed. Artemis shrugged, and gave a small yawn. ''What? Is it something I cannot know?''

Another period of silence overcame them.

''No, you can come,'' Orion said, interrupting the silence. ''Sorry. I was just lost in my thoughts.''

''It's all fine,'' she said, and took a few tentative steps towards Orion. The Hunter caught her hand; a soft warmth in the cool of the cave.

''Follow me, Artemis,'' she heard Orion murmur. They moved from the cave, through the Crete forests, and finally into the city. Artemis' eyes stinged from the Sun's unforgiving glare, as she ran after Orion's voice. It was a hot day, even for Winter's standards.

''Where are you going?'' she asked. Usually, she would trust Orion to guide her to the correct destination, but this time, it felt different; Orion's guiding hand felt clammy in hers, as she heard his racing, nervous heart. Artemis' heart pounded from the sweat and the pain alike.

''The Labyrinth,'' he panted, so quickly that she almost didn't catch it.

''The Labyrinth?'' she asked again, almost in disbelief. What was Orion doing here? For starters, she knew that the Labyrinth was '' _off limits''_ by the decree of Minos, the King of Crete. Artemis wouldn't've cared less, if not for Minos' horrible reputation, which had even travelled to Olympus. Either way, Orion didn't have a reason to come near Minos' Labyrinth, not unless he was looking to be thrown into the infamous Maze itself, which she doubted.

''Yep,'' Orion responded. ''I'm here to… ah, _pick up a package_. It's rather important, and Daedalus notified me it'd be ready today.''

Artemis wondered if Orion was joking. For some reason, it didn't feel like one.

''Why, _trespassers!''_ a gravelly voice crowed, as she heard a pantheon of guards march towards them. Orion froze; Artemis could feel his arms tense. She stiffened, as the King of Crete's soldiers inspected her carefully. She could tell from Orion's racy heart.

''How interesting! We haven't gotten an admirer in decades,'' Minos grinned sadistically, as he clapped a stunned Orion in the back. ''And a child, even!'' he glowered as he glared at Artemis in her fourteen-year old form.

The guards shifted, in unease or sadism she couldn't tell. Artemis was rigid, as she held to Orion's stiff hand.

''If you want to _admire_ the Labyrinth _so badly_ ,'' Minos snarled, as he glared at the duo. '' _THROW THEM INTO THE LABYRINTH!''_ he growled at his guards. '' _FOR TRESPASSING BESIDE MY BEAUTIFUL MAZE!''_

''But sir—'' one of them said uneasily, as he glanced at Artemis' pissed, unfocused gaze. ''—one of them's blind. I thought we had protocol against that…?''

Artemis whipped her head to the guard in disbelief, as if to say: _really?_ But of course, he ignored her. _Of course._

Minos snarled at the guard. ''Even better. The Minotaur gets some easy prey. Now, if you'll _excuse me,_ I've got a bloody kingdom to run. Unless you want to join them, that is.''

'' _Seriously?''_ Artemis blistered with anger, still irritated. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Minos dared to throw the _Moon goddess_ into the filthy Labyrinth of his? Upset silver energy began flickering from her, but neither Minos nor the guard noticed.

Orion gave her a squeeze in concern, and inadvertently, she felt her angry aura vanish.

''N—no, sir,'' the soldier stuttered out, as he took a curt bow. ''N—never, sir,'' he said as he gave Minos a salute, and marched his way back to his squadron.

''Then it's settled,'' Minos growled. Facing his guards, he screamed: ''THROW THEM IN THERE!''

* * *

 **A/N:** Hi again! This is, per the description, a missing segment from Blind Stars, which is the Labyrinth the duo mentioned conquering a while back in Blind Stars (specifically Ch. 9). Since this is an AU, let's just assume Orion beat Achilles to the punch on the Labyrinth parts. :D

For those who are clicking into this fic for the first time, I highly suggest you read **Blind Stars** first, since this is set in that AU and during that storyline. Taking this as a standalone would work too, but it's always nice to have some backstory beforehand to make sense of this fic. :D

There will be regular (daily) updates for this fic, and it will span around 5-6 chapters. Leave a review below if you'd like! Thanks for reading, and l hope to see you soon! o/


	2. Workshop

Artemis groaned in annoyance as the guards shoved them into the Labyrinth. Barely whispering, she said: ''We could've gotten out of this mess if I just used my godly form, you know.''

Orion squeezed her hand apologetically. ''I'm sorry, Lady Artemis,'' he said under a low murmur. ''This is my fault. You—you can leave now, of course. There's no obligation to stay.''

Artemis huffed. ''Too bad. I'm not leaving you behind.''

''You don't want to be in the Labyrinth,'' Orion murmured. ''It's of twisted walls and stones, a Maze that yearns to kill, leading the unsuspecting to the Minotaur that sits in the middle. I know the inventor that made it,'' he said, voice low in warning. ''It's not a joke.''

''If you're trying to scare me away, it's not working,'' Artemis grunted. But she felt fear gnaw at her heart. She wasn't a fan of the Labyrinth. Its dark aura felt to edge at her, laugh at her, like an unsated maniac waiting for its kill.

A beat passed, as the soldiers yelled: '' _They're in!''._

The gates wheeled as it creaked; Artemis gripped Orion's hand tightly. ''I'm not leaving,'' she said, voice final.

''Okay, then,'' she heard Orion breathe out, once the Labyrinth's gates clanged together with a loud creak. ''I have a plan.''

Artemis stared at him in intrigue. ''And that is…?''

''I've been around the Labyrinth recently,'' Orion said quietly. Artemis shot him a look of curiosity. ''Long story short, I've been visiting Daedalus in secret. Been checking up on him for an item. Anyway— he taught me how to navigate the Labyrinth.'' His voice dropped to a whisper as if he was telling her a sacred secret. ''Always follow the right-walls, and advance forward.''

''Huh,'' was all Artemis said. ''I suppose we could test it out,'' she shrugged. Tightening her hand on his palm, she said: ''It isn't as if we have any better ideas.''

''Don't worry,'' Orion reassured. ''I know the way.''

''I'm counting on you,'' Artemis warned him, as she tightened her grip on Orion's hand. ''Lead the way.''

''First stop: Daedalus' workshop,'' Orion said cheerfully, after a long trek through the creaking maze. Indeterminable time had crossed since they've first entered the Labyrinth, and the afternoon took a scorching turn that left her in uncomfortable, writhing suffering.

She winced. Orion must've noticed her pain because he gave her a quiet squeeze from his hand. ''We'll definitely make through this,'' he said with exhausted cheer.

''How can you be so cheerful?'' Artemis asked him skeptically. She'd never met Labyrinth survivors, if there were any, that was proud of their tenure in the Labyrinth.

''I'm not. It's sarcasm.''

Artemis sighed. ''I don't understand your form of humor, Orion.''

He shrugged. ''Hey, it's not for everyone.''

A while later, after surveying their surroundings, Orion took Artemis' hand, and led her towards a jutting ledge beside the noisy workshop: ''Wait here.''

The ledge was worn with dust over time, as she dusted it off, leaving her with cool, hard stone. She grasped the ledge tightly and tried to center herself amid the creaking walls and the creaks of the mechanism. ''I'll be okay,'' she reassured Orion.

Orion's soft voice was overshadowed by the rumbles of the Labyrinth. ''I'll be back in a moment.''

Artemis waited. The passing time was clocked only with the loud shifts of the Labyrinth, as the Maze reoriented itself, and again and again, all intent on making any poor adventurer's life miserable and lost.

At the thought, Artemis gripped the stone ledge tighter. The sound was already overwhelming in itself. She could only be glad that she couldn't see the Labyrinth's cunning illusions. Even by Orion's simple description of the stone Maze left her in shivers.

''Have you got the item from Daedalus yet?'' Artemis questioned, once she heard Orion's steps emerge from the workshop.

''Yes,'' he breathed out as he jogged towards her. ''Don't look.''

Artemis sighed irately. Inwardly, she was glad that Orion was here. His presence—and his voice— provided her with much better bearings than the stone ledge ever did. ''Couldn't if I wanted to.''

Orion didn't respond, but she could virtually feel his grin.

''Let's continue on,'' she muttered, as the Minotaur's howls pierced through the Labyrinth. The afternoon's light shone piercingly, and under her breath, she said: ''We have no time to lose.''

* * *

''Right,'' Orion said, as they traversed through the maze. They had been traversing for what felt like forever, as the pain in her eyes dipped to but a mild, throbbing sore—telling her it was mid-afternoon, close into the night.

It still hurt, though.

Orion had a habit of saying where they were going, which was fine by her—even if they were trapped in a maze intent on driving its unlucky visitors insane.

The Minotaur's howls felt closer, and unconsciously, Artemis followed the sound, tugging Orion along—

''Wait! That's the wall!''

Artemis abruptly halted, moments away from banging head-first into a wall. Sighing, she turned to Orion. What made her lose focus so much?

The Labyrinth walls groaned around her. Its tracks grunted and squealed as it rumbled to a shut.

The creaks echoed through the huge maze. There was no sound.

There was no _sound_.

''Artemis—'' Orion began placatingly, but she quieted him with an abrupt squeeze, as realization dawned in her mind.

''The Labyrinth isn't letting us in,'' she realized. ''It thinks—'' and at this, Artemis broke a grin, ''—it thinks that we have a good chance at killing the Minotaur. Too good a chance. So it's not allowing us to go in. As a team.''

''Well. That's reassuring, isn't it?'' Orion said, amidst his breathing. The mental image of Orion's scowl almost caused her to burst out laughing, if not for the dire situation they were in.

A few moments passed, as the Maze walls creaked and shifted.

''Let's split,'' Artemis responded, clearing the smile on her face, all too aware of the Minotaur's thirst for blood. ''Clearly, the Labyrinth doesn't want to let us in. I think… I think one of us'll have to take him on. Alone.''

At Orion's frustrated squeeze, she gave a hard smile. ''It's okay. When one of us's in, the other will follow. Agreed?''

''Are you sure? That's how people get lost…'' Orion trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

''Don't worry. I'll track you,'' Artemis said, listening to Orion's pulse that throbbed anxiously against her hand. She'd never appreciated the heightened senses of the gods, but it meant the difference between blindly groping through the Maze or navigating the Labyrinth by sheer sound—and in this case, by monitoring Orion's heart.

''Alright.'' Orion gave her a squeeze back. ''I trust you.''

And with one final squeeze, the warmth left her palm.

She felt for her surroundings. The sounds—the creaks, the shakes, all reverberated through her ears, and the smell—the taste of blood in the air, the scent of the sea, faint and barely olfactible, shook her to the core, and the touch—the grainy walls, the mechanisms worn and rusty, scared her more than it should've.

She felt herself squeezing his hand, only to find nothing but air and her own palm.

Grunting, Artemis tread her hands on the Labyrinth walls, as it shifted raggedly. Ever so often, she would come over something in her way, which she'd nudged with her foot as its white dust tinged her skin, and she didn't daresay what it was.

She was only glad that Orion wasn't here to see it.

Artemis could tell she was getting closer. The stench of dried blood pricked her skin. Bracing herself, hands tracing the stone walls, she waited for it to curve into a circle—into the center of the maze.

She took a breath, and trusting her touch, followed her fingers forward.

But she felt metal.

Artemis grasped futility at the Labyrinth's the metal wall, as she tried to find an entrance, but all she felt was a wall of cold stone. A dead end.

She heard a shrill moan come just meters from her, as the Minotaur salvaged her scent of blood in the air, and she cringed when the Minotaur landed the first blow against the wall.

A dead end.

Artemis could only ponder this mutely as the Minotaur clashed furiously against the thin metal wall that separated it from her, snorting with unbridled rage as it bellowed with rage and slammed its fists against the cold metal.

But as quickly as it started, it stopped.

''HELP!'' Artemis heard a scream penetrate from the far left. She jerked her head towards the sound, her heart racing in fear as she heard the Maze walls shift.

No! She took the chance and dived through the creaking walls, so impossibly loud for her sensitive hearing. Her body skinned against the ground, as she let out a cry of pain, and she heard the walls thunk behind her in a close.

Gathering her bearings, she put her hands on the walls as she forced herself upwards. Feeling the oily, grainy walls, she focused on one sound: the furious snarls of the Minotaur.

Tracing her fingers against the Maze walls, she felt her way to the center, as the walls curved in and the Minotaur's breathing got louder and heavier still. Her heart crept with fear, and she hoped—no, prayed— that the Minotaur wasn't at home.

Orion had stopped screaming. Her heart skipped her beat once she realized its implications. No. There's no way.

There's no way.

A spiral of torturous emotions descended into her, touching even the furthest cold as if it was hurtling through the hole into Tartarus. No. No there's no way. No!

Concentrate! By the gods, concentrate!

Artemis took in deep breaths and listened to the sound. Not far from the Minotaur, she heard the faint sound of steady, shallow breathing. So easily glossed over—but it was there.

She took in another breath. The scent of the sea was faint in the air.

Good. That's a relief.

But something else was mangled in as well. Blood—beautiful, blasted blood— was in the air.

Artemis remembered what she had told Orion earlier. _When one of_ us's _in the Minotaur's lair, the other will follow. We'll defeat this beast together._

She had to defeat the Minotaur.


	3. Confrontation

Artemis had heard the Minotaur's loud breathing long before she entered the stone circle.

Its low growls and snorts came from the very end of the stone circle, as if it was assessing her as it regained its breath, heaving with pain. Artemis smiled grimly, amid the burn. Orion had put up a good fight.

Thankfully, the stone circle was large. She edged to the very ends of the circle, and searched for noise. The clops of his bull-like hoofs and his soft growling reached to her in parallel to her movements, as she circled the monster.

He was stalking her, she realised. Low, grunting blows came from the Minotaur, as if it was assessing its prey.

Making herself appear as large as possible, by puffing out her chest and holding a confident posture, she followed his movements that came from the opposite end of the circle, making sure to glare at the Minotaur as she did. Artemis didn't need it thinking like she was easy prey.

The Minotaur hesitated; letting out puffs waft from his nose. And it was in that moment when she charged at the Minotaur.

It reacted faster than she did, swiping the air with its huge paw. She ducked as the wind whizzed above her, and countered with a strike to its abdomen. The Minotaur roared in fury, more angry than dazed

It towered over her, its nostrils flaring in fury, as it breathed down on Artemis. Rage prominent in his eyes, fury emitting from its bare skin, it let out a roar and plummeted at the goddess—

And it was in that moment when she let out an unholy war-cry, as in a single motion, she stabbed her fingers into the Minotaur's eyes.

The Minotaur howled in pain as it clawed at its dead vision, but to no avail. Artemis launched herself off of the Minotaur's body, as she somersaulted and landed on the ground. She caught her breaths as the Minotaur's screech penetrated through the dusk.

 _Now we're talking._

Artemis felt the first lunge, his claws whizzing by her with a gust of air. Dodging to the left, and in the process grabbed its flailing paws. Pinning Minotaur's humanoid paws behind him, she forced the monster to the floor. She felt its heavy breathing, its enraged shakes as it struggled for freedom, the Minotaur's cries as it huffed and grunted for release, but her hold was steadfast.

She held him down, for an indescribable period of time, to the point where the Minotaur was subdued. He stopped thrashing, letting out heavy breaths under her steady force.

''Orion,'' she croaked out, hoping he was still there, _somewhere._ ''Please.''

Nothing passed except the Minotaur's snorts. But then, she felt a whirl of air, the descent of a blade, and the Minotaur's breaths were no more.

The blade clattered to its side. Artemis wiped her hands, and held her hand out in the air.

She could almost imagine Orion's comical look of disgust. At this, she smiled.

''Yuck,'' Orion said as he poked her hand, and she sighed in exasperation at the thought of his Cheshire-Cat grin. ''Just take the hand, Orion.''

Nevertheless, he took her hand. His package from Daedalus gripped tightly in the other, she wondered what made it so important.

Sighing in melancholy, the dusk shining in her eyes, she said: ''Let's get out of here, shall we?''

Orion compiled, and led the way out of the Maze.

* * *

''Excuse me?'' Orion yelled at the wide-gate doors. ''Let us out! We've killed the pesky beast for you!''

He didn't see it, but Artemis heard the guards outside shift awkwardly. They probably never had victors before.

''The can't be true…'' one of the guards muttered to his friend. ''Minos said that there will be no victors. He said we can't let anyone out…''

At this, Artemis felt a twinge in irritation. ''Open up!'' she grunted, annoyed by their discussion. Any more and she'd have to burst into her godly form.

And of course, they ignored her.

''But clearly they've won! Do you still hear his howls?'' the second guard said to the first. The first guard didn't respond, but muttered various indiscernible words under his breath. Mostly curses.

Receiving no response, the second guard sighed. ''If you're skeptical— it's in the rules, Aeschylus. Whoever conquers the Labyrinth and kills the Minotaur shall be crowned the Victor of the Labyrinth. They shall walk as a free man.'' Another sigh, as the guard tried again. ''And besides, do you really want to help Minos?''

''We're waiting,'' Orion muttered a little too loudly at the two guards.

''Alright,'' the first guard, Aeschylus, grunted. ''Open the doors. And send a messenger to the heart of Crete—tell them we have a victor.''

* * *

They were greeted with a party.

The city cheered for the duo as they weaved past the crowd, throwing up baskets of fruit in joy, wine frothing from bottles as people drunk themselves silly, and as mothers, fathers and children cried in happiness, thanking the gods for their prayers answered, that their children need not be sacrificed anymore.

Artemis squeezed Orion's hand in rejoice, as a smile wore her face. Orion guided her through the crowd, as she did her best to greet and wave at the people in their ecstasy.

Amid laughs and the deafening crowd, Orion returned the Moon goddess' smile. Under a whisper, he said: ''You killed the Minotaur, Artemis. The party's yours tonight.''

Artemis gave him a small squeeze in response. ''To be fair, you struck the final blow.''

But then, the cries of victory from the crowd stopped. A hushed silence fell over the crowd, like a prophet's spell. The clip-clops of a dozen hoofs entered the village, kicking up dust and grime alike. Artemis' heart raced, and she grasped tighter at Orion's hand. ''What's happening?''

He gripped her hand in agitation. ''He's here,'' Orion whispered, voice low in fear.

A man in a Chariot blocked the crowd's rowdy revelling, armed to the teeth with guards mounted atop horses. The figure descended from their Chariot to reveal the cursed King of Crete; Minos.


	4. Celebration

''My, my,'' Minos said, as he spread his arms. ''What's happening here?'' the King asked in mock surprise, as he glanced at the solemn crowd.

His question might've been asked innocuously, but she could hear the underlying grit beneath his tone. Minos was wrathful. His son— _no, Minotaur—_ was dead. His reputation was ruined. The King of Crete was beyond furious.

''You two!'' Minos seethed, pointing furiously at the two conquerors of the Labyrinth. ''Come face me! I want to see if you're truly worthy of bearing the title of _the_ _slayer of the Minotaur!''_ he spat out, rage flaring from his nostrils, as he stalked towards Artemis and Orion.

The crowd edged, like waves in the sea, choosing to dissipate any second or standing their ground. Artemis felt Orion's grip tighten against hers, but nevertheless, she stepped forward.

'' _You, huh!''_ The King of Crete glowered. '' _Conqueror of the Labyrinth. Slayer of the Minotaur.''_ he spat the titles like it was a curse. ''Just but a little girl. _Pathetic_. Let's see what you've got.''

He heaved his gold-laced sword, and held it steadfast.

''Minos,'' Artemis said soothingly, and she made a point to approach him and trace a finger across the King's blade. Slow droplets of gold emerged on the blade as she ran her fingers over the razor-sharp imperial, polished by years of slices against whetstone, as the closest of the crowd gasped.

The King of Crete edged away, unease clear from his mannerisms. Artemis smiled, as she wondered how Orion would tease her about this later on.

''Do you know who I am?'' Artemis kept her voice sickly-sweet. Orion's grin was evident on his face, if anything. She smiled pitifully at the thought, and returned her attention to Minos.

She could hear Minos' low growl. ''No, and _why should I care?!''_

''I'd like to tell you a story,'' Artemis said, a smile on her face as she twisted shapes on Minos' skin. ''Of a goddess. Her name's Artemis. If you must know—'' she grinned a sickly-sweet smile, envisioning Minos' pale face, ''—she's the goddess of the Hunt,'' and she stared, crystal-clear eyes boring into Minos's. ''If you've ever worshipped her, then you'll know what she looks like.''

''But—'' Minos scowled. ''There's no way! You can't be Artemis'' he yelled at her, and then to the crowd. ''She's _bloody_ blind! D'you hear me? The girl's _blind!_ ''

He let out a loud belch of laughter, but his voice was the only sound that echoed through the silent crowd.

''Oh, but that just makes it better,'' Artemis said with a smirk. ''Your maze _failed,_ Minos. Foiled by a _blind girl and her Hunter_. _And_ _we lived._ That's your rule, isn't it?'' She grinned now, lifting Orion's hand in hers to the sky in victory. '' _The people_ —'' she yelled, and pointed at the rousing crowd. ''— _the people won!''_

It was silent for a moment; before deafening cheers erupted from the invigorated people. They yelled; laughed; rejoiced; cried; and Artemis took all this in with a smile.

''Proof!'' Minos demanded, his disbelief obvious as the crowd cheered and hollered on. He couldn't possibly believe that this _blind girl_ was the goddess Artemis. ''I WANT PROOF!''

With a flick of her wrist, a silver flame erupted from her palm. Gasps came from the rousing crowd, as Minos stared disbelievingly at the dancing silver flame.

''Go now,'' Artemis growled, her voice low. ''You're lucky I'm in a good mood tonight.''

Without another word, Minos and his men fled. Horses whinnied and neighed, as his soldiers drove back into Crete; with a speed swifter than any surrender would've been.

The trots of their horses echoed in her mind long after they left. Grinning, she faced Orion, who, instead of letting go, squeezed her hand. The crowd uttered _oohs_ and _aahs_ like schoolchildren—and frankly, Artemis didn't mind.

''' _Her Hunter?'''_ Orion quoted, a grin on his face. ''All's in a good night, isn't it?'' he said, mischievousness in his tone.

She laughed, and feeling Orion's hand in hers, she thrust them further into the sky, as the vigorous crowd cheered them on.

* * *

 **FIN.**

* * *

 **A/N:** So, that took quicker than expected. :D I hope you enjoyed this little add-on to the _Blind Stars_ universe; and thank you for reading! I don't plan to expand this AU any further, but if you'd like to see some more, you're entirely welcome to leave a suggestion.

If you'd like to see more, however, there is my fic **Raze,** which is in-line with the Blind Stars universe. I'll be updating the next chapter of **Raze** this July. Peace out!


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